Engineers’ Syndicate runs elections after 15 years of state guardianship

Elections for the half-renewal of the Engineers’ Syndicate were launched Friday morning with a contest between three electoral lists which include more than 1,000 candidates in all seats.

The half-renewal elections were held inside Cairo International Stadium where electors chose from three electoral lists: “Independence Stream”, “Path Correction”, and “Building and Development”, the latter of which is comprised of the majority of young members.

The electoral process was suspended Friday evening and canvassing measurements have started. Primacy indicators said “Independence Stream” achieved the most progress over other lists.

These elections are considered the first to take place following the removal of the guardianship imposed before 25 January Revolution in 2011 to execute main reforms related to Egyptian engineers’ social and professional conditions.

“The main cases for Egyptian Engineers’ Syndicate following these elections are improving its performance, amending its laws so engineers’ pensions increase, paying attention to engineering on an education level, and supervising great national projects,” Head of Engineers’ Syndicate Tarq El Nabrway said in video statement published on the syndicate’s official Facebook page.

Former prime minster Ibrahim Mehlab and Bishop Daniel from the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Sydney attended the elections, both of whom were keen to cast their ballots.

“No complaints were recorded during the electoral process Friday except a number of telephone complaints, which were immediately solved, and a number of written complaints that were incorrect,” read a statement from the Engineers’ Syndicate Higher Judicial Committee, commenting on the workflow of elections.

Before the revolution, the Egyptian Engineers’ Syndicate suffered under strict guardianship ordered by Mubarak’s regime; syndicate elections were suspended for 15 years.

During the Mubarak era, engineers succeeded in obtaining a judicial verdict to end this guardianship but the verdict as not put into effect even after the revolution.

Engineers have been involved in confrontations, whether through demonstrations or through judicial disputes, to put this verdict into action until 2016 when the Administrative Court issued a verdict to end guardianship.

Egyptian Engineers’ Syndicate was established in 1946 and works according to Law No. 66 issued in 1974, which regulates its work and its field of activity. It is considered as an advisory body to the state in its specialised field; its main headquarter is in Cairo with branches in all governorates.